BRADFORD CITY AFC

In front of nearly 19,000 fans, Stuart McCall's Bantams fought back from conceding first to lead at the break, but Gillingham hit back shortly after the interval to claim a share of the spoils.

With debutant Charlie Wyke in their side, City, who were wearing their limited edition fourth shirts for the match, fell behind in the fourteenth minute when Josh Wright fired home after Ryan Jackson's long throw-in into the box had dropped into his path.

Wyke was soon in the action himself, however, heading home just a minute later from Mark Marshall's cross to draw the Bantams level.

McCall's men went one better to take the lead with seven minutes of the first period left when Tony McMahon followed up to fire home after Billy Clarke's free-kick had been tipped onto the post by Gills shot-stopper Stuart Nelson.

Attacking to the Kop in the second half, City will have been understandably keen to push home their advantage but they were frustratingly pegged back just four minutes after half time.

Jackson's cross into the box eventually dropped into path of Deji Oshilaja in space and the defender scored with a shot that hit off both posts before rolling in.

Following Gillingham's second goal of the game, City came back strongly into the contest looking to retake the lead.

Josh Cullen, Wyke and Billy Clarke, who went close to scoring three times in the first period as well, all threatened as the Bantams pushed harder and harder as the half drew on.

Substitute Jordy Hiwula had one late chance with four minutes of normal time remaining but the striker's looping effort over Nelson dropped just wide.

90+4min: Emmanuel-Thomas' hooked ball in behind has List interested but the striker cannot quite get a clean shot away with McArdle for company and the ball dribbles through to Doyle.

90+2min: Emmanuel-Thomas' lofted cross into the box looks to be finding the run of Wagstaff but Meredith is able to just do enough to get in the way and see the ball out for a goal-kick.

90min: There will be five minutes of time added on at the end of the match.

87min: YELLOW CARD - Ehmer is booked for handball midway into Gillingham territory. McArdle tries to scramble the home over by the far side from Clarke's resulting free-kick into the box but Gillingham get the ball behind for a corner.

86min: Clarke's lofted pass gets Hiwula in behind but the substitute striker has to take the bouncing ball on first time with Nelson coming out to meet him and his lob over the advancing 'keeper drops over the bar.

80min: SUB - Gillingham bring on Jay Emmanuel-Thomas for Dack.

79min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Jordy Hiwula for Cullen.

79min: From McMahon's long ball forward, Wyke chests down into the path of Clarke but striker's low drive from just outside the box is dragged wide of the far post.

78min: SUB - Gillingham bring on Elliott List for McDonald.

77min: Clarke puts an inviting delivery into the six yard box from a wide free-kick but no one City player can quite get on the end of it as the ball goes out for a throw-in over by the far side.

72min: YELLOW CARD - Garmston is booked during a brief in play, presumably for entering the field of play as a sub without the referee's permission.  

71min: SUB - Gillingham bring on Bradley Garmston for Oshilaja, who seems to be carrying an injury after twice receiving treatment in the second period. 

69min: McMahon's corner is headed goalwards by Wyke but Donnelly is in the right position just in front of Gillingham's goal-line to hook away.

64min: McMahon's cross into the box finds Clarke, the striker shoots for goal but the effort is blocked. Clarke manages to retrieve possession and lay the ball off to Cullen but the midfielder's strike from the edge of the box flashes narrowly wide with Nelson rooted.

63min: Law skips away from the attentions of Jake Hessenthaler but his rising drive from outside the box goes over.

52min: McArdle's header forward from a Clarke corner is blocked but the ball drops into the path of Cullen just outside the box and his half-volley is pushed behind by Nelson.

46min: The Bantams restart the match.

45min: There will be two minutes of time added on at the end of the first half. 

44min: The ball rolls into Clarke's path just over twenty yards out and the striker proceeds to curl an effort mere inches over the bar. So close for Billy!

42min: Clarke flicks the ball away from Ehmer before firing in a low drive from outside the area that rolls a yard or so wide of Nelson's near post.

36min: YELLOW CARD - Dack is booked for kicking the ball away after giving a foul away inside City's half of the pitch.

34min: Rory McArdle heads wide of Nelson's far post from a Tony McMahon corner delivery deep into the Gillingham penalty area.

31min: City counter-attack from a Dack free-kick towards their own box, with Nicky Law playing Clarke into space deep in Gillingham territory. Ehmer and Jackson are nearby but Clarke still manages to drive into Gillingham's penalty area. Clarke attempts to skip past the recovering defenders and round Nelson but the Gills duo combine to deny the City striker and the ball rolls through into hands of the visiting shot-stopper.

30min: Marshall's clipped ball into the box finds Clarke but his downward header is held by Nelson.

28min: Romain Vincelot gets as far as just outside Gillingham's penalty area in possession. The Frenchman goes for goal but the effort goes over the bar.

23min: Marshall's pass in the box into the path of Josh Cullen gives the midfielder a chance to shoot for goal but his effort is deflected behind off Max Ehmer.

22min: From a bright attack, Gillingham threaten when Rory Donnelly's low strike towards the bottom corner is pushed out by Doyle. Scott Wagstaff is first onto the loose ball deep inside the box, beating James Meredith in the process, but his touch is heavy and he can't stop the ball from running out for a goal-kick.

12min: Dack goes for goal with an ambitious effort on the half-volley from roughly 35 yards out and Doyle is able to watch the ball bounce past his near post.

11min: Rory McArdle's well-timed forward pass from deep plays Mark Marshall into space down City's right flank. Marshall crosses low into the middle towards Clarke but the striker's shot from inside the area goes wide of Nelson's near post.

8min: Clarke's shot for goal from outside the area takes a deflection off a Gillingham on its way through to Stuart Nelson. The Gills shot-stopper seems set to take the ball comfortably but he needs a couple of attempts to gather up, with the 'keeper eventually claiming possession narrowly ahead of the lurking Wyke.

6min: City come close to an early lead! A great flick from Charlie Wyke finds Billy Clarke in space just inside the area. Clarke's shot is blocked but the ball drops at the feet of Wyke. The debutant fires across goal but Clarke's attempt to tap in from close range is deflected behind for a corner.

5min: Dack's delivery into the box from the resulting corner eventually drops at the feet of Chris Herd but his prod for goal from inside the box loops over Colin Doyle's crossbar.

4min: Ryan Jackson's long throw-in into the box is headed out by Timothee Dieng as far as Bradley Dack just outside the penalty area and the Gillingham attacker's strike for goal is deflected for a corner.
0min: Gillingham kick off the match. The Bantams will attack towards the T L Dallas Stand end in the first period.

Doyle, McMahon, McArdle, Vincelot, Meredith, Marshall, Dieng, Cullen, Law, Clarke, Wyke

Subs: Sattelmaier, Darby, Toner, Hiwula, Penney, Gilliead, Devine

Hiwula for Cullen (79)

Nelson, Jackson, Ehmer, Oshilaja, Herd, Wagstaff, Hessenthaler, Wright, Dack, Donnelley, McDonald

Subs: Holy, Garmston, Osadebe, List, Dickenson, Byrne, Emmanuel-Thomas

Garmston for Oshilaja (71), List for McDonald (78), Emmanuel-Thomas for Dack (80)

Gillingham cautions:
Dack (36), Garmston (72), Ehmer (87)